We Will Not Be Silent
by ktreereads
Summary: Tom Dupain has had enough of Gabriel Agreste. The Dupain-Chengs make a plan. Good Parents do Good Parenting. Season 3 (Chat Blanc) Spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Chat Blanc spoilers ahead. I really like Tom and Sabine, but I wish they had done more to defend Marinette. I know the bakery scene was just a little blip in the episode, and it all got erased anyway, but seriously. Parents need to be parents in this show. And Tom looks like he would say so much more than just "Get out." So, here's my attempt to fix it.**

* * *

Tom Dupain did not consider himself an angry person. A little excitable and prone to jump to conclusions, maybe, but certainly not angry. Not unless someone messed with his family. The whole Weredad incident was proof enough of that, and he still felt embarrassed of his behavior toward Chat Noir on that day. But as Tom stood there, listening to his daughter try to defend herself against this sad excuse for a human being, he clenched his fists and felt his anger boil over.

"Then make the right choice." Gabriel said with a smirk.

"No!" Tom bellowed at the stupid man on the stupid tablet. "You can't even come in yourself to air whatever made-up grievance you have with my daughter. You have the audacity to send your _assistant_ into my place of business and threaten my daughter? You want to try to make my daughter the bad guy here? I don't think so. I'll be damned if I allow you to threaten my child into doing your dirty work. Get out of my bakery. Get. Out!" Tom stalked towards the secretary as she hurried to turn around and exit the bakery. "Sabine, take Marinette upstairs. We're going to close early today. We have some things to discuss."

Tom locked the doors and pulled down the security gates. He stood in the center of the bakery and took a few calming breaths. It wouldn't do to be akumatized a second time. He went through the motions of closing and cleaning up, considering how to help his daughter and the boy she loved. Adrien was a good boy, and good for Marinette. The boy obviously cared deeply for her, and anyone could see she felt the same way. Tom was genuinely perplexed by the allegation that Adrien's relationship was detrimental to the Agreste brand. So far there had only been good press. Everyone loved them as a couple, they were adorable! Tom shook his head as he climbed the stairs to his home. He took one last calming breath before opening the door to face his wife and daughter.

"Papa! What have you done!" Marinette wailed as soon as he came through the door. "Now Mr. Agreste will pull Adrien out of school and he won't be able to see his friends ever again and it will be all my fault!" She wept into her hands as Sabine pulled her down on the couch and held her tight.

"Marinette, sweetheart, I want you to listen to me." Tom sat down on next to his wife and daughter, taking her hands in his. "You know that we love Adrien. He is a wonderful boy, and he doesn't deserve to be treated the way his father treats him. Your mother and I don't want his to be pulled out of school and locked away."

"Then why did you make Mr. Agreste leave! I would have done, it, Papa. It would have hurt me, but I would do anything so Adrien doesn't have to suffer being locked away again!" Marinette looked accusingly at her father.

Tom sighed. "I know you would, honey. I know. But I want you to understand that I am _your_ father, not Adrien's. My job is to protect _you _first. And I won't let Gabriel treat you this way. Sweetheart, if Gabriel pulls Adrien from school because of this, it is not your fault. The only person to blame for Gabriel's poor parenting is Gabriel Agreste. He is a coward and a poor excuse for a father. I will not stand for him threatening my child with the abuse of his own. It is Gabriel's choice to pull Adrien out of school, and Gabriel alone will face the consequences of his threats towards my family and his son. I refuse to allow him to make you feel guilty for his poor parenting choices. Don't break up with Adrien because his father is a jerk. I promise you, sweetheart, we will not be silent about this abuse." Tom kissed his daughter's cheek and gave her a gentle hug. "Now, I want you to go upstairs and call Adrien and tell him what happened today. I don't want him to be blindsided if his father decides to force him to break up with you instead. I don't know what sort of thing Gabriel is going to try now, but your mother and I have to discuss what we want to do next. Tell Adrien he is always welcome here, he is part of our family now."

As their daughter ran up the stairs to her room, Sabine scooted in closer to her husband and he put his arm around her. "What do you have in mind, Tom?"

"I want to see what Nadja has to say about our security footage. I'm so glad we decided to go with the high definition audio and video! Gabriel accused Marinette of being a detriment to the Agreste brand. Let's see how Gabriel likes bad press that's his own damn fault. And I also want to contact our lawyer and child protective services. We can't let Gabriel get away with threatening our daughter and abusing his son. I won't stand for it. Adrien can come stay with us if he needs a place to go."

Sabine looked up at her husband with tears and a warm smile. "You are a good man, Tom Dupain." She kissed him thoroughly. "Now let me go call Nadja. I'll invite her for coffee this afternoon."

* * *

**So, maybe Chat Blanc would still have happened, I don't know. I hate that Chat said it was their love that broke the world, because I don't think that's true. It's obviously Gabriel being an asshat that caused Chat's akumatization and the breaking of the world. The point of this story wasn't really preventing Chat Blanc, just portraying the good parents as good parents. And it all go erased anyway. (grumble grumble when will my ship sail grumble grumble).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Originally, this story was only going to be one chapter, but I saw the English dub of Chat Blanc yesterday, and I just couldn't handle it. So...here's the rest of the story. **

* * *

Marinette shivered under her umbrella. _I wish I didn't have to do this._ She stood before the open gates of the Agreste mansion with her heart in her throat, and took a small step towards the front steps. She hesitated, looking back over her shoulder to where her parents stood behind her in silent support and thought back to the events that brought her to this place.

* * *

"Adrien, I-I need to tell you about something that happened today...but I don't want to do it over the phone. Can you come over? Right now?"

"I don't know, Marinette." He sounded a little scared. "I don't know if father is going to go for it. He's been really...difficult lately. Can't it wait until school tomorrow?"

Marinette bit her lip and held her breath for a moment. "If he gives you any trouble just tell him I said I'm going to do as he asked. I think...I think he'll let you come."

"You're going to do...Marinette?" He sounded terrified now. "What did he ask you to do? Did he ask you-"

"Adrien, just come," she interrupted. "It will be easier for both of us if you just come." Marinette closed her eyes as a tear made it's way down her cheek. She hated to do things this way, but she wanted Gabriel to let Adrien come. "I promise, I will explain everything when you get here."

"Ok, I guess. I'll see you in a few minutes. I love you." It broke her heart to hear him sound so uncertain.

"Ok, see you soon." She ended the call. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Marinette opened her trap door and went back downstairs to speak with her parents. She stood in front of them and nervously wrung the hem of her shirt.

"Maman, Papa, I asked Adrien to come over. I just couldn't have this conversation in a text or a phone call, it didn't seem right. I mean...if I'm telling him what Mr. Agreste did and he gets upset...I think I'd rather him be here, so I can be here for him. But...uh...I didn't really give him any clues about what we're going to talk about and I kind of let on that maybe I'm going to break up with him." She sat next to her papa on the couch. "I guess I thought that if he seemed upset after our phone call, Mr. Agreste would be more likely to let him come." Her phone chimed and she looked down to find a message from Adrien. "I suppose I was right. He'll be here in a few minutes."

Tom put his other arm around his daughter and kissed the top of her head. "I know this is a tough conversation, sweetie. But we want you and Adrien to know that we are going to be here for him no matter what. We love him, and he is part of our family now. We won't let either of you go through this alone."

Marinette hugged her papa as tight as she could. "Thank you, Papa! It means so much to me that you love and want to protect Adrien." She sniffed and wiped her cheeks. "Will you and Maman stay here with me while I talk to him? I want him to feel supported, and also you guys were there to witness everything that happened."

Sabine took her daughter's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Of course, darling. We are here to support you both."

_Knock knock knock._

Marinette squeezed her mother's hand back and went to open the door. "Adrien!" She felt terrible when she saw his pale face and sad eyes. "I'm so glad you could come!" She pulled him into a tight hug and her heart broke when she felt him tense up.

"Marinette?" He questioned as she closed the door. "Is everything ok? What is it that you need to talk about? What did my father say?"

"Adrien, before we talk about it, I want you to know that I love you and I will always be on your side, no matter what." She cupped his cheek and smiled at him. Reaching down for his hand, she entwined their fingers and led him to the couch where they sat with her parents. "I asked Maman and Papa to stay with us because they were there when your father came into the bakery." She huffed. "When I say came in, I mean he sent Nathalie with a tablet for a video call." Looking down at their joined hands, she took a moment to consider how to tell him, and decided to just be direct. "There isn't really any easy way to say this. He essentially came here and demanded that I break up with you. And when I protested, because that's the last thing I want to do, he threatened to pull you out of school and keep you away from all of your friends if I refused." She looked up at his shocked face while tears streamed down her cheeks.

"So...you _are _breaking up with me? Because you told me to tell him-"

"No!" She insisted. "No, I'm not breaking up with you. I don't want to do that, not ever. The reason you're here now is that...well, I guess I didn't want your father to have a chance to say...whatever he might say. And I wanted to figure out what we should do. I don't want _you_ to be punished because I love you and none of this is your fault." She squeezed his hand and scooted a little closer to him. "I figured with my parents on our side, we could come up with something."

Adrien put his head in his hands and gripped his hair. "I can't believe this," he said softly. "I mean, I actually can believe this, and I guess that's what I can't believe. I _shouldn't_ be able to believe this!" He looked up at her, getting louder as his anger grew and he went on. "I can't believe this! Did he even say why? Never mind, it doesn't even matter why."

"Adrien, sweetheart, Tom and I want you to know that we are on your side. We are not ok with what Gabriel has done here, and we are not going to sit silently by and let your father get his way in this matter." Sabine patted his knee gently. "We love you very much, honey, as if you were our own son. I know this may be hard to hear, because Gabriel is your father and you love him, but what he is doing is not ok. It's not healthy behavior for him, and it is certainly not healthy for you. As tough as it is to say and hear, frankly, this is abuse and we can't sit here and let it happen."

Adrien closed his eyes as tears began streaming down his face. His shoulders shook as he began to sob.

"Oh, honey," Sabine soothed, and she moved next to him on the couch, pulling him down to her in a comforting hug. "It's going to be alright. Take your time. We are here for you."

Tom stood up and moved to sit next to Marinette. He and Sabine enveloped the children into a giant group hug. "Son, Sabine and I have a plan that will hopefully improve this situation. If you feel up to it, we'd like to talk it over with you."

Adrien looked up at his girlfriend's father and nodded. "I think...I think I can handle that."

Tom smiled at Adrien. "Don't worry. You're part of our family now. And we take care of our own."

* * *

**One more chapter, maybe up later today or tomorrow. Felix today! I don't know how I feel about it. **


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette was shocked at how easy it was to convince people of the truth of Adrien's situation. After all of her dealings with Lila she had gained a fair amount of cynicism regarding people's ability to discern the truth in even the simplest of circumstances. And Adrien's situation was the farthest thing from simple.

Gabriel Agreste had made a reputation for himself. He was well respected for his genius as a fashion designer. Unfortunately for him, he was also notoriously unpleasant and difficult to deal with. Hard to please and slow to praise, Gabriel was respected but hardly liked. Adrien, on the other hand, was a media darling. He was known as the sweet and gentle heartthrob of Paris, easy to please and easy to work with. And to her surprise, his fans loved Marinette as well. She had expected a lot of crazy-fan hate mail, but instead received dreamy-eyed oohs and ahhhs whenever they went out together. Their reputation was a major tip in the young couple's favor.

Thanks to Gabriel's less-than-positive reputation, Tom and Sabine were able to take full advantage of their own media connections. Combined with Adrien and Marinette's dream couple status and the video evidence of the threat against the children, the Dupain-Chengs were able to enlist the assistance of their friend, Nadja Chamack, who ran an exposé on the shocking treatment Adrien received at the hands of his father. With the abuse exposed to the world, Gabriel was lambasted in the court of public opinion and Child Protective Services launched an investigation into the the allegations. Marinette hoped Gabriel appreciated the irony that his accusations towards her had be turned back upon him.

While the investigation was underway Tom and Sabine, along with Nino's parents and (to everyone's surprise) Adrien's bodyguard, began the process of become legal foster parents. They were intent on making sure Adrien had a safe place to go when he needed it. After several months of investigating, another shocking discovery was made and Child Protective Services made an emergency appeal to remove Adrien from his home.

* * *

Marinette looked up from her sketchbook when she heard a frantic pounding on her apartment door. She hurried down the stairs to open it and was surprised to see a distraught Adrien barely holding himself together. All she could do was take him up to her room at sit with him on her chaise. She held him while he sobbed and mumbled incoherently about his mother. She held him close and gently petted his hair, quietly whispering nonsense until he calmed down enough to choke out the story.

"My mom...she's...she's in my basement! There's this giant cavern under my house and she's been in there this whole time!" He stood up in agitation to pace around the room. "And he kept it from me! He kept _her_ from me, and never gave me any clue! He ignored me and buried himself in his work and I thought he was grieving! But he wasn't! He was plotting, this whole time he was plotting to steal our miraculous!" He stopped suddenly and clamped his hands over his mouth, turning back to look at her with wide eyes.

"Our...miraculous?" Marinette said nervously. She blinked a few times and then tilted her head to the side as she studied his face. "Kitty?"

He sat back down next to her and put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Marinette. This is not how I meant for you to find out. Another thing _he_ ruined for me," he muttered bitterly.

"How long have you known?"

"Um...since you made me the beret." He looked down at his feet. "I saw you leave through the window. But I promise, I meant what I said that day! I love you, Marinette. I've always loved you."

She looked at him with a gentle smile. "I know, kitty. And truth be told, if I hadn't fallen in love with Adrien Agreste on that rainy day at school, Ladybug probably would have given Chat Noir a chance a long time ago. It's always been you, for me." She cupped his cheek and gently kissed his lips. "I love you Adrien. Nothing is going to change that. And there is no one I'd rather have by my side as my partner."

"You say that now, but you haven't heard everything yet. The reason I found out about my mother is because...because..."

"Gabriel is Hawkmoth, isn't he?"

She said it so calmly, he looked up at her in surprise. "How did you know?"

She chuckled. "I kind of put two and two together when you said he was plotting after our miraculous."

"Yeah," he sighed. "He wants to use the wish to bring my mother back. As much as I want her back, I don't think I could bear to pay whatever terrible price would be required. What if it required you to take her place?" He reached out and pulled her to him, holding her tight. "I don't want to lose you!" he whispered.

Marinette reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm not going anywhere, kitty. We're going to recover the miraculous from him, hopefully with a minimum of fighting." She leaned up to kiss him and then turned to pick up her phone. As she scrolled through her contacts to call Master Fu, she had a chilling thought. "Gabriel doesn't know that you're Chat Noir, does he?"

Adrien pursed his lips in thought. "I don't think so. His reveal happened after a particularly difficult interview with the social worker. I think he wanted me to understand why he's been so distant all this time. He wanted me to call off the investigation and help him to get the miraculous from Ladybug and Chat Noir. I think if he knew who I was, he would have demanded I give him my miraculous immediately and never let me leave the house." He sighed. "I guess I can kind of understand how he's feeling. He wants his love back. But she wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want to come back at someone else's expense. And what he's been doing is not ok. Effectively abandoning his own son is not ok. I don't ever want to go back there."

Marinette smiled sadly. "I don't think you'll have to. Let me talk to Papa. I think the social worker will probably have a thing or two to say about your mother being hidden in your basement. After that we're going to meet up with Master Fu." She caressed his cheek. "Everything is going to be ok."

* * *

Marinette was wrong about how hard Gabriel would fight. Once he realized Adrien wasn't coming back to join his side he went on the extreme offensive, trying to wear Ladybug and Chat Noir down before they could bust into his home and take his miraculous from him. The akumas were brutal, last ditch attempts at victory. But Marinette had learned patience, especially with Adrien at her side. The final battle was hard. Gabriel didn't pull any punches. Chat Noir fought with a fury rarely seen, determined to end his father's reign of terror once and for all. Only with the help of Master Fu and the entire Miraculous Team was Hawkmoth defeated. As Chat ripped the butterfly brooch away from his father's suit, Mayura fell to her knees in despair. The desire to fight left her when she saw Gabriel lying motionless on the ground. Nathalie relinquished the peacock brooch willingly.

Afterwards, Viperion confided in Ladybug that it took them more than eight months to successfully end the battle. She shuddered at the thought, relieved that it was finally over.

It was over. They won. The miraculous, except for the Ladybug earrings and Black Cat ring, were tucked away in the Miracle Box for a well-earned rest. Now Marinette had to be strong, to help her Adrien pick up the broken pieces of his life. Guardianship was given to his bodyguard once the Gorilla was cleared of suspicion, and although the two of them lived in the Agreste mansion for now, Adrien spent most of his time at the bakery. Marinette stood beside him through the storm that was his father's trial. She held him when he cried, comforted him when he despaired, and fiercely defended him when anyone had the gall to accuse him of being an accomplice to his father's crimes. She held his hand while they waited outside the courtroom to testify in their superhero personas. Together they wept as his mother was removed from the cavern below the mansion.

* * *

Marinette stood in the rain at the bottom of the steps, waiting for her kitty. Went the doors to the mansion opened she looked up and smiled gently, beckoning him to stand with her beneath the umbrella he had given her all that time ago. She wiped the tears from his cheeks and then kissed him softly.

"I'm so sorry, Adrien."

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "I know, Marinette. Even though I hoped Master Fu could do something for her, the truth is, Maman was already gone. I've been grieving her loss all this time. Now I _know_ she won't be coming back, so at least there isn't any false hope." He gently curled a strand of her hair around his finger. "Now I can move forward and be part of a family again." He smiled at her and then looked behind her to where Tom and Sabine were standing. He took her hand and together they walked towards the car that would take them to the cemetery to lay Emilie to rest. In a small, private service, Adrien smiled through tears as he shared his wonderful memories of his mother with his closest friends and family.

Marinette looked over at her Chat with love in her eyes. She laid hand on the gravestone and quietly whispered. "Don't worry, Emilie. He is loved. We will take good care of him. He won't be alone anymore. He's part of our family now."

* * *

"_Little kitty on a roof all alone without his lady._" Chat sang quietly as he looked upon his city bathed in the glow of sunset. He smiled at the whirring of a yoyo and the light sound of his lady dropping down next to him.

"Not alone anymore, kitty."

He turned his smile towards her. "Hey Buginette. What was the sudden call for?"

"Does a lady _need_ a reason to see her kitty? Maybe I just wanted to see you." She giggled as she snuggled in next to him and put her head on his shoulder.

He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm perfectly fine with that."

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**I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Especially that ending. They were so cute! **

**Just a couple things:**

**I don't know anything about the French foster care system, so I based those details on my very very basic knowledge on how it works in America. Sorry if I got anything wrong, but it seemed like a plausible way things could have gone.**

**I absolutely hate the nickname "bugaboo." It gets under my skin, I don't know why. So, I went with Buginette, which is what Chat calls Ladybug in the French dub, and it seems more appropriate anyway, since Chat Blanc was entirely avoided and they got to keep their identity reveal. Yay!**


End file.
